Sands Of Time
by Knitting Dragon
Summary: Follow Lillian on her first adventure as she sets out to find her perfect partner and sets her world to rights in the process.


Sands of Time

Abra set at the kitchen table watching Malin bustling about making a special dinner for Lillian. "You are just putting it off with the dinner Malin."

At the rich warmth of the masculine voice whispering through her mind Malin looks over her shoulder at her partner of thirty plus years. "An why shouldn't I? Have you seen a shift in the sands yet?" she said giving Abra a half pleading look.

He just shakes his head "No future is set in stone Malin you know that. An just because all possible futures for her are cloudy don't mean trouble just change."

Malin sighs "I know Abra but a mother worries it is what we do, Lillian has never been a robust child, and know she is so set on being a trainer. "

Abra levitates down from his chair and moves to look out the window at the girl meditating in the garden. "Every path is as unique as the trainer who walks it, just because ours was a long hard road don't mean hers will be. "

Lillian

The sun warmed bench felt good as she settled in to meditate the way Abra had shown her clearing her mind as she slowed her breathing and listened to the world around her. As she listened she felt a tug from the forest north of there farm. On a breath she whispers "So there you are I have been waiting." Opening her eyes she smiled and stretches before standing noting that the sun has moved on and the bench is now in the shade, later than she had thought then. It was time she told them she was leaving in the morning she had waited so long two whole weeks while she tried to find the right direction. Lillian sighs as she walked toward the house mom was not going to like this but really just because she got sick easy didn't make her weak.

In the Kitchen

"The sands are shifting Malin." Abra looked over his shoulder at Malin "She is ready. "

Malin cursed softly "I was hoping she would change her mind. "

Lillian sweeps into the room just then all dark hair and big green eyes. "I am going in the morning! I am going to catch my partner! "

Malin tensed "You c-can't you don't have a starter pokémon you need a pokémon to catch a pokémon," it was a weak excuse at best and both Abra and Lillian just looked at her.

"Mom any pokémon on the farm would be willing to help me catch my first if I asked nicely. "

With that Abra felt the sands shift again flowing away so that he only had to look through a hundred or so short term futures for the best path. "No need for that I shall help you catch your starter," Abra nodded to Malin when she gave him a questioning look he had found the path.

Watching them Lillian just shakes her head, "Thank you Abra I am going to pack."

As Lillian hurries to her room Malin askes, "You have found it?"

Abra sighs and gets an oran berry from the bowl on the table. "Yes and I have a splitting headache thank you for asking. All the possible futures with her taking someone from the farm to help her catch her first feel okay but the one with me almost glows." Abra watches Malin slump into a chair in relief as he eats his berry. " She thinks us fools for sifting the sands of time like this you know. "

Malin gives a bitter little laugh, "She may be right old friend most of the time it just gives you a headache and me a heartache. Tell me again what it is like?"

Abra moves to stir the berry soup while he tried to think of a new way to express future sight outside of battle. "Every move we make, everything we decide affects the future as a result there are as many possible futures as grains of sand in the desert. As we make choices and do things we change what the future might be. See I have stirred the soup so all futures with the soup scorched are no longer as likely. As a future becomes less likely it gets harder to see and the more likely ones easier. That makes long term prediction the stuff of prophets and not regular pokémon like me. I can see the short term. But even that has hints like my helping her catch her pokémon feeling more right than the others. I don't know why it is better but her first pokémon will be with her all her life."

Malin stands and takes over stirring "So it truly is like sifting an ocean of sand looking for pearls that can disappear before your eyes?"

Abra nods "exactly so."

In the morning

Lillian snapped the last pokéball holster on her belt closed and picked up her backpack. She could hear her mom making a big breakfast downstairs to slow her down. "Don't worry Abra I will help calm her down before we go." She turns her head and looks at her mom's best friend and partner where he was standing in the doorway.

Abra's telepathic voice was filled with relief, "Thank you she just isn't listening to me about this."

Lillian laughs softly "And you think she will listen to me? "

Abra just looks at her.

"Right she can't choose not to hear me. "

After breakfast while packing their lunches into her backpack Lillian slides a sideways look at her mom. "You know if we make good time and Abra can teleport us back in time maybe we can have cake to celebrate tonight?" She casts her mom an impish grin over her shoulder.

Malin looking started "You think you will be home so soon? "

Abra having seen Lillian's grin spoke up, "Malin of course we are coming home right after she catches her pokémon my place is here with you and they will need time to bond. "

Malin takes a deep breath and nods "Of course I don't know what I was thinking. "

Once they were away from the house Lillian looks over at Abra, " Thanks for backing me up."

"Thank you for putting her mind at rest she is used to you taking day trips in spite of her wishes it was very clever of you to use that to ease her mind." Abra looks around them surprised they are headed north deeper into the mountains. "You seem to have a goal in mind?"

"I have not been waiting for the weather to warm up like mom suggested to delay me. I have been using my meditation time to seek a direction. " Lillian grins at Abra, "I might not think sifting the sands is the best use of the time we have been given but someone smart once told me that any skill can be a gateway to others."

Abra nearly tripped at that. "So what have you been working on?"

"Finding! My perfect partner is north and a little east of here about a half day's walk." Lillian skipped ahead a little pleased with herself.

Abra followed her rapidly sifting futures as they walked. "That is why you never asked what your partner would be? You just don't care so long as they are the right one?"

Lillian laughs and nods. "Asking might have changed things. You see this way whoever they are will be just right and I won't be influenced one way or another. "

Lunch time

Abra ate the lunch Lillian had packed him and watched her meditate realising she had planned this to she had packed a lunch for him and a lot of hiking food for herself so she could skip lunch to find her pokémon without depleting herself. He smiled inwardly, Malin need not have worry so their girl was far more ready than they had thought.

Lillian opened her eyes and smiles. "Closer than I thought but we won't be able to make it today unless we teleport up there . " She nods at a cliff rising above the forest. "Can we?"

Abra looked up taking a last bite of fruit. "We can but it will take a lot out of me to teleport to an unknown location I don't have the reserves I once did. I will need a small rest before we could battle."

She looks from the cliff to him and back, "I am not sure I want to battle my pokémon unless he or she insists. I would prefer a willing capture. On the other hand there are other pokémon we have to watch out for. You have been on a pokémon journey before what would you advise? "

Abra nods approving of her logical thinking and wisdom in seeking advice. "If we can find a safe ledge half way up and teleport from the base. We could do it in two stages with a relatively safe resting place in between. This would allow me to be able to battle if need be."

Lillian claps her hands. "Then that is what we should do it will save us days of hiking while preserving as much of your strength as possible. Thank you for your wise advice I still have so much to learn." Grinning she slips a chocolate bar out of a side pocket of her backpack as they start off again and passes it to him. "You know you can stop sifting futures I am not mom I don't need to know and you don't need to waste your energy."

Abra looks at her thoughtfully, "No you are not my Malin I think for all you are weaker in body you are stronger of heart and mind. My Malin has always feared the future you embrace with an open heart."

"An open heart and a thirty pound backpack full of everything older trainers have told me they need on their journey. Plus extra pokémon medicine and food just in case. " She shakes her head at him. "Abra I get sick easy but I am strong for my size and age. Why should I fear the future when I am prepared to deal with it?"

Abra nods and eats the chocolate relaxing and dropping him watch on the the futures to let his energies build. "You may be right I can't say. "

On a ledge

Lillian kept watch while Abra napped and and thought about what Abra had said. My Malin. She smiles a little sadly and wonders if he even knows how much he loved her mom. Lillian was not bothered by the fact Abra loved her mom after all he had been her first pokémon and they have been partners for thirty-six years. She did pity him a little tho his kind lived a lot longer than humans. She wonders if he will ever have the courage to tell her mom how he feels.

When Abra opened his eyes he saw that there was only a few hours left to sunset. "You let me rest longer than needed."

Lillian handed him a leppa berry cookie, "Not if we want to teleport home afterwards. Remember you were the one to teach me energy theory. All energy is the same physical, emotional, or mental."

Abra laughs and takes the cookie. So that is why you are handing me something sweet every time I turn around today?"

Lillian finishes buckling the chest strap on her hiking backpack. "Yes. Abra do you think me foolish to want to be a trainer even though I get sick easy?" She shoots him a worried look clearly his answer matters to her more than her moms.

Abra teleported them to the top of the cliff before answering. "I think you have greater courage and heart than many adult and that you can do anything you set your mind to. It just may take you longer."

She nods slowly and starts walking again. "I don't want to mess with the gyms and the league so much as build a life with pokémon you know. I may challenge the gyms but mostly to learn from them."

Ten minute walk later.

At the edge of a clearing with several boulders and rock pillars Lillian uses a hand signal to wait and a few moments later a thin battered looking machop comes into view moving gracefully around the clearing practicing low kick and karate chop over and over on the rocks.

Abra tensed so this is why he was the best one to help her a fighting type. "Are you sure about this fighting types often do not respect those with a physical weakness. "

Lillian leans against a rock and watches "Look with more than your eyes he is beautiful. He glows with inner strength and heart." She smiles happily as she watches knowing the fighting type knew they are there but he did not interrupt his training.

Abra watches with a critical eyes. "He should have been able to break that last one."

Machop tried to ignore the Abra and his odd companion but the psychic types critical comments were starting to irritate him. At least the odd girl seamed the see his strength and appreciate it.

Lillian works her way out of her hiking backpack and looks around until she finds a palm sized stone the boldly walks into the clearing to examine the boulders. "Why don't you try this pattern? " She scratched a pattern of marks the the bolder with her rock before rejoining Abra at the edge of the clearing.

Abra settled in to meditate, "He won't do it fighting types just aren't that open to advice."

Machop glared at the Abra then in a series of blindingly fast moves strikes at every spot she marked. Then stands back in shock as the bolder collapsed into gavel.

Lillian grins "Told you he could do it."

Machop hurries over and starts gesturing at the gravel. " Machop chop chop ma?"

Abra opened his eyes "He wants to know how, you knew how to do that."

"Thanks for the translation." Lillian turns and looks machop in the eyes. "I like to carve so I had to learn about stress fractures in stone. They are tiny cracks that run all through rocks, hit them lightly and you chip away bits, hit them hard and you can shatter the stone." As she talks she digs a packet of dried oran berries out of her pack opens it and hands it to machop.

Startled machop takes the berries carefully and sniffs them. Before he starts talking fast with Abra translating. "Why are you here? What do you want? Does that work one rock type pokémon? Can you show me how to do that myself?"

Lillian laughs softly happily "Eat and I will tell you." Once Machop starts to nibble on a berry she starts talking. "I am here to meet my first pokémon. I want the perfect partner for me because they will be with me for the rest of my life. I doubt it would turn a rock type in the gravel but it would make an already super effective move even more effective. An I can try to show you if you can learn it is up to you."

Machop nods at Abra "Isn't he your partner pokémon?"

Abra shakes his head, "I am not Lillian's partner I just came along to help her get her starter."

Lillian laughs "Abra would never leave his Malin for that long," She teased.

Abra jerks around to stare at Lillian blushing. "I uh never..." He just gives up under her knowing look. "Damn empaths." Abra storms off to the other side of the clearing leaving Machop without a translator.

Machop watches mystified by the exchange.

Lillian sighs "Sorry about that he will calm down in a bit. He is in love with his partner but won't admit it." Seeing machop has finished the berries she picks up her rock again, and walks to one of the bolder. "Okay point to where you think you should hit the rock and I will make a mark then I will make a difference mark where I think you should hit. If we compare them maybe it will help you see the weak points that I do."

Machop shrugs and following her to the bolder points at several spots. All the while thinking about her answers.

After Lillian and machop have marked several boulders Abra comes back over still looking flustered but calmer. "Why are we spending time doing this?"

Lillian looks startled, "Because he wants to train?" It clearly never crossed her mind not to help machop train even tho she hadn't caught him yet or even tried.

"Lillian I know you are new at this but you are supposed to catch pokémon before training them." Abra manages to keep from looking smug about being able to tease her.

Lillian blinks once having really forget that part. "By the way machop would you consider being my partner? "

Machop looked at them then away. Talking fast. Then hits the boulders hard cracking it.

Abra looks at Lillian "He says he would love to be yours but can't he has a problem to take care of here before he can leave to be anyone's partner. "

Lillian nods "Okay then we help him. Partners are also friends and we help our friends. "

Machop nods looking more relaxed and pleased, "Partners then."

Abra watches them go back to training translating automatically rather shocked at how easily it was decided and that the fighting type hadn't insisted on a battle first.

After a while Lillian takes out her pokégear and calls home to tell her mom they would be gone overnight and spends time listing all her camping gear to convince her mom she has everything she needs. Frustrated when that isn't enough she finally hands Abra the pokégear and walks off.

Machop walks with her to the other end of the clearing and makes a questioning sound.

Lillian gives him a strained smile. "Nothing to worry about. I am strong for my size, age, and gender, but I get sick easy and am petite. That means I am little. So mom babies me and worries when I act like a normal girl my age if she could keep me at home she would. I have learned to handle her moods but it is frustrating."

Machop nods seeing how it would be aggravating.

Lillian looks at the three remaining intact boulders. "Why don't you try to do the others without marking them? Oh and do you have a name?"

Machop shakes his head and tries attacking one of the boulders turning it to gravel without her guidance he grins.

Lillian claps "You did it! I knew you could. Can I give you a name?"

Machop shrugs before taking out the last two boulders.

Abra stalks over and hands Lillian the pokégear. "Why exactly did you do that you know I can't use telepathy over the phone?"

Lillian just looked at him. "After all these years you don't need to and she wasn't going to calm down for me. You have a way of calming her with just a tone to your voice."

Abra looks around the rocky clearing "We need to find a place to camp tonight this is to rocky and open."

Machop nods "I would not sleep on the training grounds it is the bug and psychic types turn tomorrow. "

Lillian walks to her hiking backpack and buckles it on. "Do you have an idea of a good place to rest tonight and can I call you Champ?"

Abra watches and trails after them as Lillian heads down slope with machop, "Turn? That sounds very organized? "

Machop nods to Lillian before looking back at Abra, "It is now it wasn't always it started out with someone practicing stone edge there the the fighting types started practicing on the rocks that made. After a while the place was useless until an abra came along and started practicing on the broken up rocks then the bug pokémon got in on it. So someone I am not sure who decided to organize things so every few days rock and ground types practice then in the next few days fighting types break it up then other types until the clearing is empty again and it starts over. "

Lillian listed to Champ's explanation whiles walking "That is clever it just goes to prove pokémon don't need humans but humans sure need pokémon. It is a big part of why I don't want to catch pokémon so much as invite them to join my team. A relationship between equals that lasts a lifetime should be chosen not forced."

Abra sighs softly, "Lillian unless you master telepathy or one of your team does that is just not possible. You won't be able to communicate clearly at least not pokémon to human we know what humans are saying. "

Champ leads them the a nice spot to camp while they argue. "You both have valid points."

Lillian laughs and starts setting up camp. "Don't mind us Champ it is an old argument Abra thinks I should learn telepathy, I think I have been trying for a few years and it is just not happening. Neath of us has hard feelings about it."

Abra helps with the tent while Lillian builds a fire pit. "Lillian you say you are trying but you hardly ever practice. "

Lillian shakes her head "I practice just not with you. You get frustrated when I don't manage it."

Champ starts gathering dry branches while listening to them but stops and looks at Abra "Are you her dad? You sound like a dad."

Abra freezes for a moment before answering. "No and yes. Some jackass of a trainer took advantage of my Malin when she was emotionally vulnerable after her folks died and dumped her when she got pregnant. I have been with her since she was Lillian's age at every step during the pregnancy and held her when she gave birth. I walked the floor with Lillian when she would cry all night as a baby, and changed her diapers. When Malin was too exhausted to think straight I made sure they were taken care of. I set with Malin every time we had to rush Lillian to the hospital because her latest sniffle had turned into something dangerous. So yes I would say I qualify as her dad."

Lillian walks up behind Abra and hugs him tight. "Breath no one is arguing the fact." She looks over at Champ. "In fact Champ picked up on it without knowing the history."

Champ watches them looking more than a little shell shocked. "How could anyone leave their pregnant mate?" He drops his arm load of firewood and sets down slowly. "I think I understand far less about humans than I thought I did."

Lillian laughs, "Oh don't go trying to understand humans I sure don't."

Abra sighs, "You think that might be why you have no human friends?"

Champ watched them laugh and tease an nodded to himself he had made the right choices in accepting her invitation he would get stronger with her but that is not what life would be about. It would be richer, fuller, and far better than that. There would be laughter, an tears, affection, and arguments. There would be a lifetime to learn why getting stronger mattered.

The next morning.

Lillian hummed to herself as she stirs oatmeal with berries and honey while the Abra slowly wakes up. She looks up at Champ when he walks into camp with a bucket of water. "Thanks for getting that."

Champ nods sets the water down walks over and points at her pokéball holster.

"You're ready? I thought you wanted to wait till we took care of whatever the problem is?" Lillian unsnapped the first holster and takes out a luxball.

Abra yawns and sticks his head out to the tent to watch just as Champ starts talking. After another yawn Abra translates "He trusts you to stay and take care of it, but thinks we should go home right after." Abra stops talking and glares at Lillian. "You have been sneezing this morning? Why didn't you wake me and why are we not packing to go home?"

Champ taps the luxball and catches himself before Lillian can say anything about him ratting her out.

Lillian blinks at the luxball in her hand as it clicks with a critical capture. "Abra skipping breakfast won't do any of us any good." She let Champ out. "An being home won't be any better than here it will just worry mom. So you rest, we eat, pack camp and take care of business then you teleport us home. To do that you need to be well rested."

Abra frowns but nods reluctantly. "I don't like being out here if you are getting sick again. You just go down to hard and fast when you do."

Champ watches them as he starts breaking camp. "Is it really that much of a worry I know you both said she gets sick easy but does a few hours really matter that much?"

Lillian shakes her head, "Yes and no. Or more like not right now. I am not sick now so I am going to get on with my life. If I do get sick then yes it will matter then." She sighs, "like Abra said hard and fast. I just don't let it stop me from living an he and mom worry and fuss."

Abra shakes his head at her and helps pack until the only things left are the breakfast things and the bucket of water. He accepts a bowl of oatmeal. "I know you get tired of us worrying about you but it is just because we love you. "

Champ tastes his oatmeal shakes his head at them. "This is amazing Lillian how did you make it taste so good? An Abra I think I am on her side on this if she is okay for now and you can teleport her home if she gets sick then why should she stop living the way she wants to? Isn't that just letting her problem win?"

Lillian smiles at Champ and finishes her breakfast and starts cleaning up. "Thank you Champ that is exactly how I feel. "

Abra helps clean up. "Malin and I may not want to understand but we do. It it just scary for us. If we lost you." He looks away.

Champ moves to take the pack but Lillian shakes her head. An buckles it on herself. "Thank you Champ but I should carry it. Abra I know but I can't live in a bubble. I can only take responsible steps to be safe like me taking the pack so Champ is free to fight if we are attacked and you can save your energy to teleport if needed."

Champ nods approving of her explanation and leads the way down hill toward a beige cliff. "There is a tunnel to the next valley where most of the berries grow and where the plant types winter over because it stays warmer. An onix has moved in recently and won't let other pokémon come and go from berry valley that is making things hard around here. That is what I need to take care of."

Abra frowns, "Do you have a plan just beating an onix in battle won't make it move."

Lillian smiles, "We could catch it maybe?"

Champ looked back at her startled. "I thought you only wanted to invite pokémon to your team?"

Lillian shakes her head. "Oh I don't want to keep it unless it wants to stay with us. But that is a sandstone cliff those hold water to well to be healthy for a rock type. An crumble to easy to be safe with an onix living there. So I was thinking take it to Samantha Joy in town she can transfer it to a pokémon preserve where it would be safe and healthy. "

Abra looks up at the cliff, "You can tell all that from here without even seeing the onix? If it is such a bad place for one why would it stay here?"

Champ looks forward again. "Because she doesn't know where to go. She showed up after a trainer past through half a moon ago. I think she was abandoned. "

Lillian frowns then sneezes. "That could be a problem if she has a pokéball she is still bound to I can't catch her and if she is hoping her trainer will come back she won't be all that willing to move."

Abra grabs some berries from a bush as they pass. "You know we could report her to Officer Jenny, and let the pokémon rangers relocate her helping displaced pokémon is part of their job. An Lillian I did not miss that you sneezed again."

Champ looks back at them and nearly trips. "What are pokémon rangers?"

Lillian shrugs, "Someone whose job it is to help pokémon who are in the wrong place, an protect special pokémon who are needed to keep things in balance, or regular pokémon that live on pokémon reserves, and monitor the safari zones. They also hunt poachers I think."

Abra nods, "Very good Lillian, they also have something called a capture stylist that lets them calm and control a pokémon temporarily regardless of a pokéball. If you can't capture this onix I strongly advise calling them in."

Champ stops across a clearing from the tunnel entrance. "That sounds like a good idea if we can't do this ourselves. Lillian maybe you should wait out here it is damp and chilly in there."

Lillian laughs and hugs Champ, "sorry but no I can't catch her from out here."

"Let me guess you have a flashlight, rope, and spare pokéballs in your pack?" Abra eyes Lillian wondering if she really did sift the sands and just wouldn't admit it because she was better at it than he was?

Champ hugs Lillian back while eyeing the tunnel entrance already feeling at ease with her happy affection even craving it a little. "I would not be surprised Abra she seems to plan for everything so that she is ready for anything. "

"Guilty as charged I have both and trail mix for a snack as well." Lillian grins proud of herself. She unbuckling her hiking packs chest strap she shrugs out of it and sets it on the ground to dig out what they need. "Remember that trainer that passed through on his way home two months ago he said that the one of the things he never thought he would needs was a flashlight and it was one of the things he always regretted not having so I packed two."

Abra looks startled. "Is that how you decided what to pack you made a list of everything the trainers that pass through said they regret not having? "

Champ starts laughing. "Oh you are going to make life fun. Always two steps ahead I will have to be on my toes to keep up."

"Well it is not like there is a website listing what a trainer needs or if there is a store owns it and it is more about selling you stuff than what you actually need. I figured overpack know and I can lighten the load as I learn what I do and don't really need."

"I am just still trying to figure out how you fit it all in there let alone lift it. That pack must weigh at list eighty pounds." Abra shakes his head as if baffled only half teasing.

Champ looked from Abra to his rather delicate looking trainer seaming to notice for the first time that she was rather small for a human female her age.

"Closer to thirty actually I substituted lightweight materials wherever I could, like the flashlights are the lightweight kind with a crank on the side to recharge them so I don't have to carry batteries. An the rope is really paracord." Lillian grins at them and hands out trail mix only taking a little for herself.

Abra just shakes his head, "Still a heavy load for an adult I don't know how you do it."

Champ looks puzzled, "I could carry four times that and never feel it. So what am I missing?"

Lillian starts drawing an onix in the dirt. "Pokémon are much sturdier than humans. Especially you fighting types. Your muscles are denser, your bones harder, the walls of your blood vessels thicker. The only reason pokémon don't run things is humans build things including knowledge of how things work."

Adra stills and looks hard at them both. "I had forgotten that Champ might not know. Humans are fragile a hit that would bruise a pokémon can break their bones. Never let your human take a hit if you can help it. That being said they bounce back from a surprisingly well. We have an amazing ability to heal. But humans can heal from more it just takes them longer. One time when Lillian was in the hospital we met a girl who was in a car wreck I am still amazed that she lived let alone healed completely." Shakes his head in wonder.

Champ nods slowly taking in this bit of information. "I had wondered why they never battle themselves. I figured it was because they can't understand us very well."

Lillian shakes her head. "We can't do moves like you can, tho there are fighting arts for humans but those are truly art forms that take a lifetime to master. An still wouldn't stand a chance against a well trained pokémon. A long long time ago before battling was a sport where the pokémon are the athletes humans and pokémon went into battle side by side during times of war. A lot of humans and pokémon died. Enough about that Champ tell us about this tunnel so we can plan a battle. "

"The tunnel is man made, well really pokémon made with human direction. It is one hundred winters old, but the local pokémon maintain it. It is the same height and width all the way through. There are wooden supports all through every two ekans lengths. "Champ shakes his head. "I think it is too tight in there for a battle. "

Abra sets down and eyes the clearing, "Maybe we could draw her out, this clearing is big enough for a battle."

Lillian stands and walks over to the tunnel entrance and yells into it. "We challenge you to battle onix. Unless your a yellow bellied ekans you will face us." She then runs across the clearing as they hear a roar and an onix charges out of the tunnel. She drops to her knees at the edge of the clearing and waves at Champ to take the field as she doubles over coughing.

Champ takes his stance fast. "Damn it Lillian what made you think that was a good idea?" He shoots worried glances at her between trying to size up the onix and dodging a slam attack.

Abra pats Lillian on the back. "Concentrate on the battle she is okay running just does this to her."

"Karate chop third bolder from the head." she coughs again and starts to get her breath back as she watches to way the onix was moving and pulls a pokéball from the holster on her belt.

Champ dodges another slam, and moves in close to deliver the karate chop making the onix roar in pain and try to tackle him. Only for him to move to the side and strike again.

"Champ look out!" Lillian stumbles to her feet and starts to move within pokéball range only for Abra to holder her back as onix gets a bind on Champ.

"Not yet onix still has to much fight in her. Think with more than your heart." Abra lets her go.

"Low kick and keep it up tell she lets you go." Lillian stalks closer but doesn't through the pokéball yet.

Champ kicks and struggles making onix wince and drop him then rolls out of the way when she tries to use slam while his is down. Rolling to his feet in a flowing movement he delivers a karate chop to the same boulder as before making her roar again.

Lillian throughs the pokéball and hits onix in the head the red light enveloped her and sucks onix into the pokéball dropping to the ground and shaking hard three times before it clicks locking.

Abra claps softly "Good job you two not bad at all for a first battle and capture. "

Lillian sits hard and starts coughing again and Champ hurries over to her limping a little. "Are you okay Lillian? That was a crazy stunt challenging her like that." He frowns at how flushed she looks. "Lillian? "

Abra grabs the pack and drags it over. An shoves it at Champ. "That is it I am taking you both to town like it or not. Champ put on the pack I can't even get it off the ground without using mental energy we can't spare."

Champ puts on the pack while Lillian tries to wave them off as she gets her breathing back to normal. "Just home Abra I am okay really."

Abra just shakes his head. "Sorry baby girl but I take my orders from Malin and your mother wants you going straight to the clinic if you show any signs of getting sick. I am already stretching it ignoring the sneezes." As soon as Champ has the pack on Abra takes them each by the arm and Lillian barely scoops up onix's pokéball before he teleported them to the clinic in town.

Champ staggered slightly dizzy from the teleport then helps Lillian to her feet as Abra sets down hard panting. "Wow it has been years since I've teleported anyone that far."

Lillian waves at the Nurse Wimly. "Gretchen can you fit me in Abra is fussing." She tries to sound cheerful but start coaching again.

Abra tiredly gets up and moves to a chair in the waiting room. "Hello Nurse Wimly can you call Malin for me and let her know where we are?"

Nurse Gretchen Wimly sighs and pages the doctor and tells him Lillian was in the waiting room an calls Malin. "Lillian how did I know we would be seeing you soon?"

"Because I haven't been sick in nearly two months?" Lillian helps Champ out of the pack so they can set with Abra. She opens her pack and hands Abra a chocolate bar. "Gretchen may I introduce my new partner Champ. Champ the pretty lady at the desk is Nurse Gretchen Wimly she organizes the doctor and runs things for him."

Gretchen smiles at them, "Nice to meet you Champ congratulations on getting Lillian as a partner she is one of the nicest people I know."

Twenty Minutes Later

Malin gently shakes Abra's shoulder waking him. "How is she? Where is she?"

Abra yawns and stretches. "Calm down Malin she is seeing the Doc. And she did amazing she was prepared for everything and then some. She found a wonderful partner. A fighting type with a big heart and a sensible head on his shoulders, an they captured an onix. She just has a little cough from running. I just brought her in to be safe. "

Malin dropped into the chair next to him with a sigh. "A fighting type huh? Will he respect her?" She slips an arm around her partner and pulls him into a hug.

"More than respect her he will protect her like the treasure she is." Laughs sadly. "Just as I do you."

Malin looks down at him, "I don't know that, that is a good thing I want her to have someone like you in her life but I have not been what is best for you over the years."

"Malin do you know why I keep an everstone on me?" Abra smiles gently at her wondering if she maybe knew his little secret and was ready to talk about it.

"Because you want to learn moves you couldn't learn if you evolved to soon. " She distractedly looks over at the desk as Lillian comes out of the back with a machop by her side.

Abra just shakes his head sadly and gets up to meet Lillian. "So what is the verdict? "

Lillian smiles, "Told you not to fuss he said to use some throat spray for irritation and not to eat anything to crunchy for a couple days. Hey mom come meet Champ!"

Champ steps forward to meet Malin and shakes her hand. "I see where Lillian got her pretty green eyes from. It is nice to meet you ma'am."

Malin smiles charmed by Champ's manners.

Abra gives Champ a hard look takes off his everstone and puts it on Champ startling Malin a little bit.

"Okay we should get going. If we are going to stop by the pokémon center." Malin leads them out thinking fast about why Abra might think Champ needed his everstone.

Abra followed Malin and holding to door watches how Lillian leans ever so slightly on Champ as they walk and the worry in his eyes. Lillian had lied or maybe held back most of the truth and Champ knew it. He would have to get him alone and establish just what was going on.

Lillian chatted with her mom on the way to the pokémon center and turned over the onix to Nurse Joy once they got there.

Abra waited until they were alone while Chancey was giving them a check up to talk to Champ. "Okay out with it what really happened at the doctor's office?"

"What she said but he also give her a pill and two shots and told her to rest and come see him in two weeks. He also told her she can't keep getting sick like she does or she is going to damage her lounges. An she told me not to tell her mom." Champ looked over at him. "I don't like her having to hide stuff she is legally an adult now right?"

Adra nods, "That is normal for her checkups those were likely buster shots and vitamin to help prevent her from getting sick. She just doesn't want to worry Malin. An yes now that she is a trainer she is legally an adult with all rights and responsibilities there of."

Champ taps the everstone, "What is with this? "

Abra blushes a bit. "Sorry that was me being a dad. Pokémon evolve but humans change slowly day by day Lillian may be a trainer but she is still a little girl one of these days you are going to evolve and she is not old enough to deal with the changes you will go through then so we are just going to delay that until she is. "

Champ watches him intently, "You mean because she is the one and you are worried I would do something about it if I evolved. "

Abra glared, "No I mean she is an empath and she would know what your feeling and not be mature enough to handle it wisely. "

Champ blushes, "Oh ya that is not a good idea thank you for the everstone. "

Chancey huffs, "Stupid why do you think you know everything." She points at Champ, "Tell the girl how you feel and give her a say in things or you will regret it later." She waves threateningly at Abra. "She gets sick and this fool and that mother of hers take away dance lessons, she gets sick and they take away sports, she gets sick and she losses play time with the other kids. They think she might get sick and they take away a field trip she has been looking forward to for weeks. She should not be punished for something that is not her fault. She wouldn't even be a trainer if that mother of hers could stop it. Lillian knows that an worked hard to graduated top of her class so she could be a trainer. Her license was granted at graduation and Malin couldn't block it. This is your relationship with Lillian that means the two of you decide things not them. "

Champ looks from Abra to Chancey, "How do you know this stuff? "

Abra looks pained but admits, "Nurse Joy is Lillian's aunt on her sire's side of the family. They would snatch her up and train her as a nurse if her health would stand it."

Chancey nods, "Damn straight they would and she would be a doctor not nurse she is one of the smartest Joys of her generation. "

Champ looks at Abra, "I thank you both for the advise and think she is right around talking to Lillian this affects us both. "

Abra looks away, "Good luck with that without a translator I am not going to be taking part in that conversation not with my daughter. "

Chancey gives Abra a pitying look. "You don't have to every Joy gets the talk when she gets her first pokémon where do you think Samantha is?"

Champ blushes, "Oh she will so what should I do? "

Abra sighs, "You just give her that everstone and see how things work out. Knowing our girl she will find a way to give you a say."

In Nurse Joy's Office

"So basically you are trying to tell me that if he evolves he is going to be hit with puberty all at once and unless I am ready to help him with a lot of confusing new feelings and urges I need to give him an everstone. Is that about it Auntie Samantha?" Lillian watches her aunt nod.

"I know you are a bit young for the talk but you do know that mating is if not how it is done right?" Samantha shoots worried glances at Malin when she looks like she is about to protest.

Lillian laughs softly "I live on a farm Auntie I have seen it. So tell me what I need to know. "

Samantha blushes, "Right well mating season hits fighting types harder than most. If he evolves you need to take him to the daycare when that happens tell it is over otherwise it would be very uncomfortable for him."

Malin leans forward looking worried, "Abra gave him his everstone is that why? Wait Abra has never been to the daycare why didn't you tell me about this? "

Samantha shares a look with Lillian. "Go check on things Auntie it is time I had a talk with mom."

As soon as the door closes Malin turns to Lillian, "You had best tell me what is going on young lady. "

"Oh I am going to tell you alright. What is going on mother is that you are not thinking about anyone but yourself. Abra doesn't want to go to the daycare why do you think he has made sure never to evolve? He is in love with you. What do you think it would do to him to mate with someone else when he loves you? You are so blinded by your fears you never see what you are doing to him. Sifting futures for you tell he is sick with headaches. Putting his feelings aside and raising me like his own. After you got knocked up because you needed comfort from someone else. Soothing you, looking after you, staying an abra for you. Always and forever everything for you and nothing for himself you don't even talk to him about his feelings. My Arceus mom you are supposed to be partners but he does all the giving and you do nothing but take. I love you I really do but I can't say that I have liked you in quite some time." Lillian stands and walks out.

Malin looks after her daughter stunned. "Is that really how she sees me as a spoiled brat that puts my wants and fears before my partner's wellbeing. Is she right?"

Six Years Later

Kedabra looks out the kitchen window as the snow starts to drift down. Then shakes his head and turning back to the warmth inside he looks at Malin. She was more beautiful than ever, less careworn, softer, more relaxed, he had never asked what happened between her and Lillian that day but when they got home and Lillian had taken Champ to see the farm she had told him never to sift the sands for her again. It had been hard for them both in the beginning. The fear, and uncertainty, but day by day it got better. They learned to be prepared and make contingency plans, he finally let himself evolve. "Who knew we would have to learn how to grow up from our baby girl."

Malin laughs turning from putting a turkey in the oven. "Don't ever tell her that or we will never hear the end of it." She sets the timer and walks into his arms accepting the love she had so long refused to see.

He nuzzles her cheek, "I love you Malin always have always will."


End file.
